


Cat Food

by JaliceCookie



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Babysitting, Enterprise, Family, Star Trek - Freeform, Toddlers, cat food, spot - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:35:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27656249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaliceCookie/pseuds/JaliceCookie
Summary: When Data has to work longer on an important Project, he asks Reginald the shy Engineer to step in as babysitter. And Reginald quickly learns, that Cats and Toddlers are not that different - because both can cause a lot of Chaos - or try to eat the Cat food together.
Kudos: 6





	Cat Food

Some things in life are simple. Like how to do good friends a favor - or write an entry in your personal log after a successful day at work.

Other things, however, are incredibly difficult and complicated. Like how to build emotional bonds when feeling emotions was limited or impossible. Or take on the upbringing and responsibility for a child and also have a job.

Not to let the gap between family life and work get too big seems impossible to many and even on the Enterprise there are moments when more exhausted family mothers and fathers visit Deanna Troi and ask for advice.

There are many crew members who get along well with the children who live on the ship and then there are some residents of the Enterprise who prefer to keep a large distance from the younger Members. One of those people is Captain Picard. It's no big secret that he doesn't get along well with children and that there is an unwritten rule that he will not tolerate children on the bridge. And yet the families who lived on the ship were one of the strengths - because there is nothing better than observing this bond. And the Captain couldn't find a bad word against this statement either.

But it wasn't always easy for Parents to go to work and have family Time. That hit Commander Data that early evening. The Android recently took in a little girl and a little boy as adoptive Children in order to be able to explore another facet of Humanity and to give the two orphans a new family.

It had been an battle, and Data was still getting very strong criticism for not being able to parent two young children with as an Android . But he showed everyone that it was chaotic, devastating and complicated every day - but the two children absolutely loved Data - even if Data himself would never be able to reciprocate this love. Because an Android like him was not able to feel emotions.

"I am very grateful Reginald . I would otherwise have left them two in Geordi's care. But my best friend is part of the project...so we both need to work this Evening" - Data was in an ssressed position and he had to take part in an important Project. He needed a babysitter for the Toddlers, and since the shy engineer gets on so well with Spot, Data has no concerns about hiring him as a babysitter for the evening. It had taken a bit of persuasion, but now Reginald was here in Data's quarters and looked around nervously.

"N... No problem. I just hope I'm not doing anything wrong ... I've never been a babysitter before ... well, except for Spot. Is there anything I have to consider with the two of them?", Barclay stuttered nervously and watched, how Spot came running up to Data and started running around the android's legs, rubbing her head against his pant leg, purring.

"The project lasts 2 hours and it would be appropriate, if the children are ready for bed when I return. We had dinner together half an hour ago - Castor and Despina probably want to play with Spot later. Oh and you should make sure, that they don't go to the bathroom alone - last time they managed to fill the bathroom with soap bubbles ", Data nodded briefly to Reginald and then left the quarters.

Reginald was nervous and he didn't know if he would be a good babysitter. Even if it should only be for a few hours - Data was the main reference person for the two toddlers and Barclay doubted being able to do justice to the pressure. But what didn't you do for friends?

*******

"Desy give back. Mine!" - a small, dark-haired boy ran after his sister and tried to snatch the toy from her, which actually belonged to him. His sister took it very unfairly and now he wanted to play with it. She should look for something else.

  
"No Cas - Desy Toy", said the blond-haired little girl and she ran with the toy in her hands into the entrance area of the quarter, where she almost collided with Reginald's legs and was able to stop just in time.

  
"Desy my toy. Give back," Castor turned directly to Reginald.  
"Where Daddy? Gone?", Despina asked shyly and let the toy fall directly on the floor, to look from Reginald to the door. Castor took this chance and took the toy with a big grin.

  
"Daddy gone work - Regy babysitter"; Castor explained and his little sister looked up from her brother to Barclay questioningly.  
"That right kids - I'll babysit you as long as Data has to work. D ... Do you want to go to your Room? You have more toys there, yes?", Reginald spoke nervously and while Castor ran forward enthusiastically, his little sister looked away sadly the door to Reginald.

  
"Daddy coming back?", asked the toddler fearfully.  
"Of course - he'll be back ... y ... you don't have to worry, okay?", Reginald replied and for the moment the words seemed to calm the little blonde and she ran in the direction of the nursery as well.

*******

Reginald watched Minutes later, how the two Toddlers were playing with their toys and were completely immersed in another world. It was amazing that in the three months that they lived with Data they had settled on the Enterprise.

The two are not biological siblings. Castor comes from an abandoned research station on the edge of the Alpha Quadrant and has survived an attack by a hostile species by hiding in an empty box and Despina ran into Data on an outside mission and never wanted to let go of his leg. The inhabitants of the planet on which the mission took place have told the Enterprise crew that the little blonde showed up with her parents a while ago, but that her parents had been killed by one of the dangerous predators in the wild.

Data had taken both children in and every single day was a challenge for the Android. It later emerged that both Castor and Despina still had relatives on earth - but it was clear that they wanted to stay with their new Guardian- they wanted to stay with Data. And Reginald finds the bond that the emotionless Android has built to the two toddlers in these three months impressive.

When it was time for the two children to get ready for bed, they had already passed their bedtime. Reginald hadn't kept an eye on the time and at some point he had sat down with the children and they had started building a small town out of Lego.

When the shy man looked at his watch, he was shocked to see that Data would be back in five minutes. So he went to the bathroom with the Toddlers and helped them brush their teeth - but the engineer was distracted when there was a loud clank from the kitchen and the meowing of Data's cat Spot.

The adult went to the kitchen, followed by Castor and Despina, and found the cat sitting on the counter. Spot had managed to toss a glass from the counter and now proudly meowed over it.

  
"Oh no - you two are staying here - I'll take the broken pieces away. Not that Spot or you are still stepping in, yes?" - said Reginald and got a broom to sweep up the broken glass from the floor. He was busy with this task for maybe two minutes and when he turned around again Reginald saw that neither Spot nor the two toddlers were standing behind him.

"Castor? Despina? Spot?"  
Reginald put the broom aside and began searching Data's quarters for the two Children and the Cat. He found the trio a few moments later at Spots Food Bowl.

The two siblings sat next to the Cat and had some of the cat food in their little hands and before Reginald could have prevented anything, the two toddlers ate the cat food together with Spot.

And exactly at that moment Data came back and while Reginald nervously from the trio that enjoyed the ´dinner´, looked over at the android - the engineer tried to find a suitable answer to any questions.

".... the project was a complete success. Geordi and I achieved some interesting results. Is everything all right Reginald? You seem ... more nervous than usual?"

  
"I'm more nervous than usual ... it just comes across ... why should I be more nervous and ... okay I think the children started eating the cat food at a careless moment ..." Reginald stuttered nervous and Data looked from the babysitter over to the corner where Spot had her food bowl.

  
"The two show this behavior often. I have already tried to teach them to stop from doing it. But so far, my attempts at raising Children in this field have been unsuccessful. Castor? Despina? You shouldn't eat Spot her cat food away - come to me please? ", Data explained and it took a moment until the two Toddlers listened to his calls and came running to Data with an innocent smile on their face.

  
"Were you good and behaved while Reginald took care of you?", Data asked the two siblings, while he gently removed the remains of the cat food they were holding in their hands.

  
"Yes Daddy - Regy come back again? Cas and Desy brushed teeth," said Castor and Despina nodded in agreement.

  
"Hm - I think we have to brush your teeth again - cat food is not something you should eat. Say goodbye to Reginald and then go to the bathroom. I'll be right there," said Data in a neutral tone and Reginald watchend how the children waved him goodbye, before they ran to the bathroom.

Reginald then said goodbye to Data, who thanked the shy man again for helping out as a babysitter. When Reginald was on the way to his Quarters, he had to realize that cats and toddlers weren't that different after all and that he might be suitable as a babysitter.

Only next time Reginald should place Spot's food bowl outside of the toddlers reach. 

**THE END**


End file.
